sequence part 2....

I like the sequence of my sister, and the sequence of me being laid off. It's everything about I'm having trouble with. It was brought to my attention that I have multiple ideas going on in the series, and I'm thinking it would be good to make 'chapters' dealing with these different ideas. Of course there are holes, but here's what I have so far... The first two lines are images dealing with the home the way it is, and the quarkiness. The next line deals with my father and the repairs to the home The following has to do with the idea of being old, and a history that is perserved (might be two different ideas) After that I have included a variety of images of my parents. I'm not sure what I'm saying about them. Then come the sequence of my sister and her relationship with my mom before, during, and after she was in graduate school. Finally is the sequence of me turning 30 and loosing my job. There's a gap in before the last two images, and I know something needs to go there, I'm just not sure what. Thoughts?

sequence

I'm trying to figure out a sequence of the work, but am running into several problems. The first, is that I'm not entirely sure what I'm saying (especially about the relationships), and the second is that I'm not sure where it's going. The latter is less significant to me now, but still factors into the sequence. Here are some minor changes to what's on the website... I'll keep working on figuring out edits, and adding new images. If anyone out there wants to comment, I'd love the feedback. I'm not sure how the last two images fit, I see the leaning chairs as an image near the end. Still more to come...

Bone on bone

My mother has been in pain for the last two years. She could barely walk without being in pain. She finally went to the doctor, and found out that they was no cartiledge in one of her hip bones. It was just bone on bone. She needed hip surgery. She had the surgery on Feb. 18th, 2013. It took three weeks, a combination of staying at the hospital as well as a short term resident physical therapy facility, before she could come home. She finally came home. Both my sister and father were able to take over the daily chores while she was gone and even after she came home. Just a few days ago the doctor said she didn't have to wear the brace anymore. In a few weeks she will be able to ditch the walker and just use a cane. All of this got me thinking about what life would be like for me if my mother wasn't there. She's my rock here on earth. My mother after hip surgery, 2013

In homage to Larry Sultan

In homage to Larry Sultan. An image of me after hearing I was being laid off. Still in progress as far as color balancing goes. Does it work?

My mother's wedding dress

An image from the end of last year...I finally managed to scan it. Still haven't color balanced it first. I have been dilegently working on my website. Still many fixes to make on it, but it's progressing nicely. I am also working on a better sequence to my Was Once Home series. I had two professional reviews at SPE last weekend, and the biggest criticism was that I need a better sequence so that the viewer understands fully what I'm trying to say. I agree with this. I think up until this point I've been just making images of things I see, or am thinking about individually. Now, I need to really focus on the project as a whole and see what can come of it. Being laid off from my teaching position can really take this project in a different direction. We will see where that goes. My mother's wedding dress in my childhood room, 2012 copyright Sarah Baranski

Japan

Ive been watching the news and looking at images/video footage of the tragedy in Japan for the past few days. I am so far removed from this situation. I don't know what an earthquake feels like; as I've never gone through one knowingly. I also don't know what it's like to see my loved ones and possessions swallowed up by the sea. The words 'Nuclear Meltdown' mean absolutely nothing to me. Yet there are millions(?) of people right now dealing with these issues and more.

I am considering making a class assignment which will asks students to respond to this tragedy. As removed as we are, we should still be thinking about what is going outside of ourselves.

This image really struck me:



I often think about the function of photography in my life. Family photo albums are a large part of that function. This image describes the current devastation which most families in Japan must be going through.

Relaxation

I'm finding relaxation a rare occurrence these days.
I've been thinking a lot about prayer and relationships.

I need to keep making images, even if they aren't for anything but this blog. It's important to keep making images, or I won't feel like myself.